Voting-machine.



J. A. BUTLER. VOTINGAMAGHINB. APPLICATION FILED JULY 29,1911.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

l llllil lllllllllllllllllllllll State of Rhodelsland, have invented certain new and useful f simple form of vote meter or registering decast may be registered.

.tera-vote will effect the opening of the autographic vote receiving device.

lstruction of the autographic vote receiving .coverlng device.

plan view of the desk and a sectional view UNITED srnrns JAMES A. BUTLER, 0F ROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

NICKELS, OF DORCHES'IER,

Parana onirica,

ASSGNOR TO FREDERIC-K E. MASSAGHUSETTS.

VOTENG-MACHNE.

mafiose.

To cull whom t may concern .Be it known that I, JAMES A. BUTLER, of Providence, in the county of Providence and Improvements in Voting-Machines, of which the following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, 4forming part thereof.

Thff invention relates to improvements in voting machines and more particularly to devices which may form part of a vote registering mechanism or an att'achment to such mechanism, whereby a vote autograpli'ically One object of this inventionfis to so con-A struct an autographic voting device that the votes inscribed may-be protected from the view of subsequent voters.

Another object of the invention is to so ,onstruct a voting mechanism of this nature that the mechanism when actuated to regis# Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description.

The invention consists in the novel condevice.

The invention also consists 1n the means for operating and Vresetting the closing or iThe invention also consists in such other parts as shall hereinafter be more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Figure l'. represents a side elevation of the 'mpi-oved voting machine, parts of the same being broken away. Fig. 2. represents a of itsnsupport member of the casing as on Fig. 3. represents a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 Fig. 1, looking toward the lright in said figure. Fig. 4. represents a front view of parts of the autographic register. Fig. represents a view taken on line 5-5 Fig. 1, showing af vice in operative relation with, the rack'bar. Similar numbers )of reference designate corresponding` par-ts throughout.

Specification of Letters Patent. e la'tmtd lila?. i8, 1913. Application led July 29, 1911.

Serial No. 641,257.

This device, in its preferred form, comprises two mechanisms or groups ofn mechanical elements which to a. large extent `are complemental in character to carry out the full intent of the may be used separately if desired. These mechanisms comprise an autographic vote receiving device and a voteregistering device which preferably cooperates with the vote receiving device to receive the autographically inscribed vote of an independent candidate while the vote registering'device registers the total numbers of votes cast and also, to some tion of the vote receiving device.`

As shown in the drawing 5 and 6 represent frame members of any well known voting machine of a type such as shown in Pate t #734,41'2, granted August v25, 1903 to Gustaf Johnson, having the vertically movable rack 7 adapted to'be actuated by the rotatable members'8, 8 having the projections 9, 9 in engagement with said rack which rack is in operative relation to the vote meter or register 10 of any usual construction. The rack rod 7 is adapted to be moved downward when the voter leaves the machine by the swinging of lever 11 of shaft 12 which latter is journaled in a bearing of bracket 13 and has the arm 14 adapted to engage, in its downward movement, the extension 7 of the rack rod 7.

Secured to the frame member 6 of the machine is the casing member 15 having the plates 16 and 17 of. which the latter has the opening 18 and is adapted to support the hand of the voter when he is in the act of inseribing his vote on any device or material located beneath said plate or desk 17.l

Mounted between the plates 16 and17 is a frame having the plates 19 and 20 provided with the guide rods 21, 21 and 22, 22 and with the lower member 23 having the depending ears 24, 24. Journaled in the plates 19, 20 are the shafts 25 and 26 having respectively the drums 27 and 28. Shaft 26 extends through bearings in the frame members and 6 and' at its outer end has the pinion 29 meshing with gear 30 rotatably mounted lon a studl extending from said member invention, but which extent, controls the operaed on the shaft of the rotatable rack actuat ing member 8. On that end of said shaft 26 which extends beyond plate 19is mounted the cam 32 having the tooth 33 adapted to be engaged by the spring pressed pawl 34, pivotally mounted on a screw secured in said plate 19, whereby the reverse rotation of cam 32 and its shaft 26 is prevented.

In the ears 24, 24. is journaled the shaft 35 having the arm 36 which extends through the members 15 and 6 to a point at which it is adapted to be engaged by arm 14 in the downward movement of said arm 14. Spring 37 acts to exert a slight upward pressure on saidarm 36. At t-he ends of shaft 35 are mounted the arms 38, 38 of the closure or cover plate 39' which is adapted to swing between the guides 22, 22 and the opening 18 in the desir plate 17 to cover from sight that portion of the inscript-ion receiving strip ri-Z) lsupported on said guides 22, 22. Provision is made for holding said closure in the closed position by means of the lever 40 pivotally mounted and spring pressed to engage its lower portion with arm 36 of shaft 35 and provided at its upper end portion with the swell l1 against which the rise of cam 32 acts, in the rotation of shaft 26, to effect the swinging of lever 40 against the action of its spring to release arm 36 and to permit this arm to move upward under the action of its spring 37 to swing arm 38, 38 and the closure 39 to the position indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1.

In the operation of the machine, the arm as 14 is swung to the position shown in Fig. 1. The voter, having been previously instructed, approaches the desk member 17 and engages the key i with the rota-table' member 8 and partially vrotates said key whereby a tooth of rack 7 is engaged by a projection 9- of said member 8 and said rack 7 is moved upward whereby the pin 'Z2 on said rack 7 engages and moves forward the registering device or meter 10 to register the rotation of said member 8. at the same time gear 31 is partially rotated and motion is transmitted from said gear 31 through gear, 30 and pinion 29 to shaft 26 whereby drum 28 is'rctated sufficiently to draw forward the stri p of material (rf-7) so that such portion of saidstrip located between the guides 22. 22 is moved along beyond the opening 18 of desk member or plate 17 so that the name ot a candidate previously written fn said 'strip (1-5 cannot be seen through said opening when the closure 39 is swung :o the onen position. The complete rotation of shaft 2G land earn "l2 and the action of said mm on thele". er 40 causes this l loveift'o swing and release the arm 36 of shaft 35 and, when so released. 'the action of spring 3." swings arm 36 upward and ami 38 of closure 39 swing outward to the l position indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 1, thus exposing to view, through opening 18, a portion of strip a-) on which the voter may write the name of the candidate for which his vote is cast. lVhen the voter leaves the machine, the lever 1.1 is operated to swing downward the arms 111- whereby the member 7 of rack 7, and the arm 36 are engaged and moved back to their normal positions, the arm 36 being engaged by the pivoted latch lever 4.0 to hold the closiire 39 in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 to cover the name written on the strip @-5.

The toothed wheel of the registering device 10 that is engaged by the pin 7 2 on the upward movement of the rack 7,'is arranged so that in its clock-wise movement, it actuates the registering device, while in its counter clock-wise movement it moves freely without operating the registering mechamsm.

Having thus described my invention, l

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent. `1 A voting machine comprising` a vote receiving strip, a drum with lwhich said stri-p is connected, a rotatable shaft actuating means for said shaft, a movably mounted cover for a portion of said strip, means for holding said cover in the closed position, and means actuated by the' rotation of said drumshaft, for releasing said cover holding means.

ceivingstrip, a drum with which said strip is connected, a rotatable shaft, a mechanical vote registering mechanism. an actuating 'device for said vote registering mechanism in driving connection with said shaft, a. niovahly mounted cover tor a' portion of said strip. means ltor holding the cover 'in the closed position. and means actuated b v the rotation of saidI4 drinn shaitt tor releasing said' cover holding means.

3. A voting` machine comprising` :i drinn, :i'stripconnected with said drinn. a shaft joiirnaled in bearings on which said di'iim is mounted. a cani on said iiriiin. a cover Iniovalily mounted and adapted to covery a portion ot said s-trip and a lati-h tor holding- ,said coier'jn the closed position. lsaid hitch being in operative relation to said cam .whereby said cani in its rotation may move said latch to release said cover.

having a desk member furnished iviih an opening, strip sustaining means located below said members. a shaft joiirnaledin bearings in said casing@ cam on said shaft. means' 'forieflccting the rotation ot said shaft.. a cam on said shaft, a strip carrying drum'on said shaft, -a cover incmber tor a 5 portion of saidy strip having depend ig' arms a shaft journaled bearings at the 2. A voting machine comprising a vote re 4. A voting machine comprising :i casing iv-i 1,056,0eeA I lower portion. of said Casing 011 which latter shaft said cover arms are mounted, a spring actuated arm extending from said latter shaft, and asprng pressed latch lever pvotally mounted in saidcasing and adapted to engage said shaft arm and adapted to be moved` ont of said engagement by said cam pose described.

` v JAMES A. BUTLER. Witnesses E'rnnL E. MCKAY, HARRY I. VALE. 

